Recipe - Queen Of Sheba

6 ounce Bittersweet or semisweet
chocolate; cut into bits
6 ounce Sweet butter; cut into
pieces
3 tablespoon Brandy
1/8 teaspoon Almond extract
4 lg Eggs; separated
Three fourths cup Sugar
One half cup Ground blanched almonds; (2
ounces)
One fourth cup Flour; (1ounce)
1/8 teaspoon Cream of tartar
Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze;
See recipe
1 ounce White and/or milk chocolate;
(optional) for
; marbling the glaze
One half cup Sliced toasted almonds

Special Equipment: 8inch corregated cake circle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of 8x3inch springform pan
with waxed or parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in a small bowl
placed in a barely simmering waterbath, stirring occasionally until melted
and smooth. Remove from heat. Or microwave on medium (50 percent) power for
about 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and completely melted. Stir in brandy
and almond extract. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with One half cup of sugar until pale and thick. Stir
in chocolate mixture. Set aside.

In a clean, dry mixer bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium
speed until soft peaks are formed. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4
cup sugar, beating at high speed until stiff but not dry. Set aside just
long enough to stir the warm chocolate mixture, nuts and flour, into the
reserved egg yolk mixture. Finally, fold about onefourth of whites into
the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites. Turn the batter
into the prepared pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or
wooden skewer plunged into the center of the torte shows moist crumbs. Cool
completely in the pan on a rack.

Torte will rise like a souffle during baking, then fall in the center as it
cools, leaving a faintly crusty higher rim around the edges. Level the
torte before removing it from the pan, as follows: Run a small metal
spatula or knife between the edges of the torte and the sides of the pan to
release it. Press the raised edges of the torte down with your fingers
until it is level with the center. Place cardboard cake circle on the
torte. Release the sides of the pan and invert the torte so that the bottom
becomes the top, then remove the pan bottom and paper liner. If the torte
is still uneven or appears slightly sunken in the center, level it again by
pressing the top firmly with the bottom of the empty cake pan. Wrap well
and store at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Bring to room temperature before serving, glazing, or decorating.

Glaze with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze, plain or marbled and cut or sliced up toasted
almonds. Store and serve at room temperature.

Yield: 1012